Inflammation is a core feature of Parkinson’s disease, so why not consider natural antioxidants as treatments for Parkinsons? Admittedly, this recommendation may likely be strange to many of you.

Most individuals first diagnosed with Parkinsons focus on dopamine as the primary culprit for their symptoms. This belief leads to the conclusion that the best treatment option is take medicines and supplements that infuse the body with L-dopa, a precursor of dopamine. No other treatment option need be even considered.

Given that studies consistently find inflammation is a core feature of Parkinson’s disease, a companion option is to consider also taking antioxidants as treatments for Parkinsons. Of course, antioxidants can be prescribed by your doctor. A variety of natural antioxidants do not require a prescription.

The following is a list of natural antioxidants that offer the opportunity to celebrate a relief from symptoms inflamed by inflammation:

  • N-acetylcysteine
  • sulforaphane
  • alpha-lipoic acid
  • L-carnitine
  • ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)
  • selenocompounds
  • flavones
  • zinc
  • Vitamin E

Why not select a few of the above natural antioxidants to take on a regular basis to keep inflammation from overcoming the body’s ability to rejuvenate and regenerate?

Research on Antioxidants as Treatments for Parkinsons

Front Neurosci. 2024 Dec 5:18:1505153. Antioxidants in neuropsychiatric disorder prevention: neuroprotection, synaptic regulation, microglia modulation, and neurotrophic effect

Abstract

Oxidative stress, caused by an imbalance between the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the body’s intrinsic antioxidant defenses, plays a critical role in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s. Beyond these conditions, recent evidence indicates that dysregulated redox balance is implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorders.

Preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the potential of antioxidants, such as N-acetylcysteine, sulforaphane, alpha-lipoic acid, L-carnitine, ascorbic acid, selenocompounds, flavones and zinc, in alleviating neuropsychiatric symptoms by mitigating excitotoxicity, enhancing synaptic plasticity, reducing microglial overactivation and promoting synaptogenesis.

This review explores the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders. It provides an overview of the current evidence on antioxidant therapy’s pharmacological effects, as demonstrated in animal models and clinical studies.

Given the limitations and side effects of existing treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders, antioxidant therapy presents a promising, safer alternative. Further research is essential to deepen our understanding and investigate the clinical efficacy and mechanisms underlying these therapies.

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Adv Nutr. 2022 Oct 2;13(5):1493-1504. Dietary Antioxidants and Risk of Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-analysis of Observational Studies

Abstract

The aim of the current review was to explore the association between various dietary antioxidants and the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease (PD).

PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched up to March 2021. Prospective, observational cohort studies, nested case-control, and case-control designs that investigated the association between antioxidants and PD risk were included. A random-effects model was used to pool the RRs. The certainty of the evidence was rated using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluations) scoring system. In addition, a dose-response relation was examined between antioxidant intake and PD risk.

Six prospective cohort studies and 2 nested case-control (total n = 448,737 with 4654 cases), as well as 6 case-control (1948 controls, 1273 cases) studies were eligible. The pooled RR was significantly lower for the highest compared with the lowest intake categories of vitamin E (n = 7; 0.84; 95% CI: 0.71, 0.99) and anthocyanins (n = 2; 0.76; 95% CI: 0.61, 0.96) in cohort studies. Conversely, a significantly higher risk of PD was observed for higher lutein intake (n = 3; 1.86; 95% CI: 1.20, 2.88) among case-control studies.

Dose-response meta-analyses indicated a significant association between a 50-mg/d increase in vitamin C (n = 6; RR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.88, 0.99), a 5-mg/d increment in vitamin E (n = 7; RR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.70, 0.99), a 2-mg/d increment in ?-carotene (n = 6; RR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.89, 0.99), and a 1-mg/d increment in zinc (n = 1; OR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.49, 0.86) and a reduced risk of PD. Overall, higher intake of antioxidant-rich foods may be associated with a lower risk of PD. 

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery ®
https://www.parkinsonsrecovery.com
rober@parkinsonsrecovery.com